Basic research outcomes produced by academic bodies such as universities are complementarily combined with industrial and clinical activities (functions) pertaining to applied and clinical research.

●Collaborations for seamless R&D phase transition

The department boosts the advancement of R&D outcomes from the “discovery of principles (exploration)” phase to the phase of “establishing proof of concept (POC) in human subjects,” and further, to the phase of “confirming clinical efficacy (including clinical trials).”

Promoting Practical Applications through Collaborations

● Maximizing the benefits of industrial-academic collaborations

By supporting industry-academia (including medical institutions) joint R&D projects aiming for practical application and commercialization, the department puts outcomes into practical use and proliferates the high-quality medical technologies that are both innovative and beneficial to patients.
* Several support programs are operated to encourage diverse and strategic collaborations between universities and corporations.

●Strengthening collaborations in clinical research and trials

By requiring researchers to build a collaborative framework that allows confirmation of clinical efficacy (including clinical trials), the department aims at promptly translating R&D outcomes into practical applications.
* With regard to non-clinical and clinical R&D projects in which collaboration with medical institutions is not feasible, clinical evaluation on human biological samples is required to ensure that they advance toward practical use.

Eligibility for R&D Support

● Approach to exploratory research

The exploratory element is an essential part of R&D. However, a research project composed almost entirely of such an element (i.e., research which is not deemed to develop beyond academic papers), is not eligible for inclusion in the programs run by the department.
* The foundation of science is considered to be sustained by research funded by Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI).

●Approach to technological seeds

For a basic (exploratory) research project to be incorporated into the department’s R&D program, the necessary condition is for its R&D outcome to be established as a technological seed (e.g., efforts will be made to obtain intellectual property), and the sufficient condition is for the research project to address medical (clinical) needs.
* The goal is to achieve the smooth transfer and sharing of technologies.

●Approach to medical and drug discovery technologies

The “output” of R&D is considered to include the identification of the cause (diagnosis), treatment and prevention of diseases (disorders) deemed the target of medical care and drug discovery, prognostic management technologies, and other elements. Based on this notion, the department aims to maximize outcomes and accelerate practical applications from a comprehensive viewpoint.
* Creation of pipelines and systems